In a nutshell, ‘Green Energy’ utilises natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat to provide our daily energy requirement. They are considered ‘Green’ because they are environmentally friendly. It is easy to think that we may be travelling back in time when we think of items such as wind power and windmills. However, it is the result of eco-efficient and planet friendly options that this process is maintained.
It is the use of simple renewable energies such as Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating Collectors, that suits the home environment. It is equipment such as Photovoltaic Panels (PV’s) that develop electricity through suitable roof-panels. Biomass Energy is the next phase, and this involves Fuel, Pellets, Stoves and Boilers burning Wood. Of course, then there is the heating from the Sun – often just called Ground Source Heat Pumps. When we think about Wind Power and Hydropower we have two of the more common forms of energy generation.
Thermal Solar Energy – Typically referred to as Solar Energy this is mainly made up of two types of Solar Panels – each using different methods to achieve similar results. To begin with, we have the concept of drawing energy from the Sun to heat water – known as Solar Water Heating Collectors. Secondly, Photovoltaic heat collectors – often simply referred to as Solar Electrical Panels – which transform the solar radiation into electricity. Obviously situated away from blockages such as chimneys etc., these Solar Panels need to be mounted on south facing roofs at an angle of 30 degrees from the horizontal.
For the UK, this is often considered the most popular form of ‘Green Energy’. Solar Water heating systems can meet the need for more than half of all hot water needs in the domestic market. Getting a professional fitting will cost around 2-5k, however, doing the job yourself could make it as low as 500 to 1500 pounds in total.
Biomass Energy: This term encompasses all forms of natural products – such as plant and animal material. Considering its ability to produce energy in the form of heat and electricity, this type of energy is extremely flexible. Furthermore, within the European Markets, the UK is one of the central producers of Biomass fuels. One of the main factors of this style of energy is the result without the impact on C02. To that end, many wood crops come from sustainable sources (as one tree is felled, another is planted in its place; thus the new tree absorbs the CO2 produced during the heating process.)
‘Energy Crops’ trees such as Willow and Poplar play a major part in the process – under the banner of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). Perennial grasses also produce a high yield of dry matter. Within this process also sits the lesser known Agricultural and Municipal Wastes. Agricultural Waste is commonly formed as a by-product of traditional agricultural work. Another biomass source is that of municipal waste – and this comes from recycled wood or food.
Systems Using Geo-Thermal Energy – Used in the generation of both warm water and electricity, this energy mainly comes from the Sun and heats the Earth. By using the ground source temperature of approximately 12 degrees, we can either heat or cool buildings within the UK. Generally, items such as Heat Pumps are thought of as very effective, as they produce four units of energy for every one that is used for generation. A greater return of energy (sometimes almost 100 percent) is produced – because heat source pumps can operate in-line with wind turbines and solar electrical panels.
Systems Based On Wind Energy: When you consider the milling of grain and pumping of water, it is easy to see how long wind energy has been with us. Whether to your home or to a local grid, when the energy has been generated it must be delivered to a point of usage – and cannot be stored. To be fair, the UK has the highest level of wind generation within Europe. It is interesting to note that whilst we can produce 10 percent of our entire power requirement from wind power, at present we only produce 1 percent. Rather than electricity production running at 2-10 p per kWh, it could be run at 2p per kWh. Therefore, recovery of cost takes approximately 6-9 months overall.
Finally, we have Hydropower; an area in which the UK does well within Europe. The ability to utilise energy from moving water, much like wind power, has been going on for thousands of years. It is this type of energy production that could meet 2 percent of all the UK’s demand.
By using a turbine, a Hydropower system can transfer the kinetic energy of moving water into another form. Turbines use either a water drop (e.g. through a dam) or by a natural ‘run of the river’ – thereby having no water storage reservoir. ‘Micro-Hydro’ however utilises old outdated sluices and dams. Although a lesser known form of electricity output, this process could supply 200mW of UK demand. The expected cost of installing a system such as this would be between 200 pounds and 3k per kW of output.
It can be seen that the route to ‘Green Energy’ is growing considerably, especially in light of the need for increasing energy outputs throughout the Western World. The UK domestic market appears to be one of the core beneficiaries of this technology.
It is the drive for installations in the domestic sector that looks to favour jobs such as plumbers and electricians. With EEC and UK recognition of renewable energy getting ever-higher on the political agenda, the grants and financial aid for introduction of these systems can only increase. It is by gaining the right certificates that will provide opportunities and job security for the long term. Look for combined electrical and plumbing training, with a key emphasis on practical green systems and installation.
Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Go to Renewable Energy Certification or Green Engineer Certification.